Shristi attended the University of Iowa Hackathon for high school students at North Liberty High School. This is the first hackathon of UoI for high schoolers. There were seven teams: five teams with four students each, one team with three students, and one all girls team of two students – Shristi and a 9th grader from North Liberty High School whom Shristi met the previous day and formed a group.

All teams were given time from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm to work on their projects and show to the judges at the end of the day. It was a fierce competition because other teams had senior and experienced programmers in their teams who worked on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence projects for this competition.

Suresh Sharma, Shristi’s father, had this to say:

“I was not expecting anything from Shristi’s team because they were competing against bigger and experienced teams. Shristi’s team was clueless when they started and in the beginning had no idea of the project, but finally, they came up with a very creative idea of creating an interactive map of major historical events during a specific period. Seeing the competition I was not expecting top three positions from Shristi’s team. I thought that if they were lucky, they might get a third place. When they announced the award, I was shocked and delighted that they got first place.”

Shristi and her teammate got first place because of the creativity, innovate thinking, and programming skills. It was a simple idea, but the judges hadn’t ever seen this type of thing before because it didn’t exist. The judges strongly encouraged Shristi to keep developing this idea and pitch this to Smithsonian. It was great and very satisfying to see Shristi’s progress.

-by Suresh Sharma

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Sage Cenatori is a true pioneer for the Maharishi School, recently bringing home the first place trophy from a tournament held at the WACO high school in Wayland, Iowa. This trophy is unique, not just because it was 3D printed during the competition, but because it was for an Esports tournament. Esports are video games that are played professionally and are generally watched by large audiences online and in person. Over 100 Universities and Colleges now offer athletic scholarships for budding Esport stars such as Sage, and many high school leagues have sprung up all around the country.

The Tournament

The recent tournament at WACO hosted 32 students from 8 different schools at their state-of-the-art Esports Arena. Students competed in a game called Fortnite which involves strategically building and battling their way to be the last player alive. Competitors have to protect themselves from their opponents while posturing for the high ground in a small arena. The battles are short, generally lasting about 5 minutes, but the action is blazingly fast.

Taking Home the Trophy

Drew Ayrit, the tournament organizer said Sage “dominated” the competition as Sage went undefeated through the bracket. Sage took home the first place honors along with his trophy and a specially designed gaming chair from Bytespeed who sponsored the event.

There was a clear buzz around Sage throughout the tournament as spectators and fellow students huddled close to watch as Sage methodically and creatively outsmart and outplay his opponents. Reaction times and hand-eye coordination are only part of the skill set necessary to be victorious. Much like traditional sports, there is a back and forth between opponents as they learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses and decide how to approach each strategically unique situation. No battle is the same and creativity and flexibility are essential to be victorious.

Number One Challenge

After the tournament, Sage said that “the fear of losing” was his number one challenge and that he didn’t just get used to it or learn how to deal with it but clearly “overcame” it throughout the course of the day.

Sage comes home with a well-deserved victory, and the Maharishi School adds another avenue for showcasing the creativity, intelligence, and mental toughness of their students. Congratulations to Sage for this pioneering accomplishment and hopefully this is the first of many trophies to be brought home to the Maharishi School.

– written by Owen Blake

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Private School can seem unattainable or unaffordable. We understand. We have some suggestions about how to make private school more affordable on another blog post. We are also really excited to tell you about a scholarship we offer to individuals who already live in Iowa and want to come to Maharishi School – our Commitment to Iowa Scholarship.

COMMITMENT TO IOWA SCHOLARSHIP

The Commitment to Iowa Scholarship will be awarded to a limited number of eligible applicants entering the 6th-12th grades. The award is based on both need and merit; the need is assessed by Financial Aid Independent Review (FAIR) and merit is evaluated based on the student’s application, GPA and prior school records. This scholarship can be awarded up to4-years, based on the availability of funds, will cover up to 25% of tuition (minus a $300 deposit) for students in grades 6-12. To continue receiving the scholarship, the student must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and remain in good disciplinary standing. The parents of students receiving the Commitment to Iowa Scholarship must reside in Iowa. The parents must also commit to either volunteer at the School 40 hours/year or fundraise at least $400/year.

The CTI donor will support up to $50,000 in scholarship funds each year.

Apply

If you would like to apply for the Commitment to Iowa Scholarship, please contact a member of our admissions staff below.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

On January 9, the Society for Science & the Public named the top scholars of the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition. The Regeneron Science Talent Search, a program of the Society for Science & the Public, recognizes and empowers the most promising young scientists in the U.S. who are creating the ideas and solutions that solve our most urgent challenges. The Society for Science & the Public and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals have announced Pranav Chhaliyil as one of the 300 high school seniors named as Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars. Pranav is a senior at the Maharishi School, Fairfield, Iowa to receive this great honor. His mentor and teacher Ms. Barbara Hays also was nominated as the “Teacher of Merit” by Regeneron.

The selection as scholar is a great honor, and signifies talent and promise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These scholars join a distinguished group of alumni that includes Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, entrepreneurs and innovators who, were named among the top 300 competitors in this program as seniors in high school.

Each scholar, selected from 1,964 entrants, receives a $2,000 award with an additional $2,000 going to his or her respective school, resulting in $1.2 million in total scholar awards from Regeneron.

The scholars, who hail from 184 American and international high schools from 38 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and two countries abroad, were selected from an applicant pool of nearly 2,000 students. Each of the 300 scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000.

Pranav’s Findings

Pranav from his 7th grade had been involved in scientific research on oral microbiome. Last year he conducted research on the effect of sugar causing dental damage and was curious to know if white sugar or unprocessed brown-sugar made any difference. To his surprise, he found that eating unrefined sugar is good for preventing systemic diseases like eating unrefined starches like whole grains. The balance of good and bad bacteria of the oral microbiome was significantly disturbed with white sugar. However while eating unrefined sugar, which is rich in polyphenols, prevented biofilm formation in the tooth.

“I actually invented a new mouthwash that’s rich in polyphenols and it includes my previously developed Nano charcoal. Middle school children volunteered to be his subjects for the research involving DNA sequencing of oral microbiota. The subjects who ate porridge that contained the white sugar got protection from the early colonizers by using the mouthwash.” He plans to commercialize the product as a healthier alternative, Pranav explained.

We Are All Proud

“We’re very proud of him, he set a great example to other students because he is not only highly achieved, but we see the support that he gives to his peers here at the school as well. He has kept his feet on the ground. So, just deep pride,” said Dr. Richard Beall, Maharishi School Principal.

Pranav has some words of advice for students. “Never belittle your small ideas that popup in your brain. If you think how it will help others, it will magically self-develop and will impact the lives of many people more than you can think of. “I always believe that in order for you to succeed, it’s important for you to also give back,” said Pranav.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

As the new school year begins, we are looking forward to updating our wider community of the exciting things happening around the school!

First, we are excited to announce Maharishi School’s number one ranking! According to Niche.com, Maharishi School is the #1 Private K-12 School in Iowa. In addition to that, we have receive #1 rankings in several other categories:

We are honored and excited to be recognized for our innovation, insight, and success in education. We have our staff and faculty to thank. Each day, they work hard to instill trust in education in their students, to spur our students on to greatness, and to encourage passion and originality in our students – preparing them for future success.

To our current and past students, we are so proud of where you are, who you are, and all that you have and will accomplish. You have been our purpose and motivation as we refine our vision and the direction we pursue. You are the oxygen that allows the organism of Maharishi School to exist. We cherish each one of you.

We do not take our ranking lightly. We appreciate the recognition of our hard work, but we will continue to strive for more. We will not settle, and we will not grow stagnant. This is evidenced by the many new and innovative projects and initiatives we are introducing this year. We will keep you updated!

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

It’s 2018. It seems as though everyone is on a quest for self-improvement. In a way, that’s encouraging. Finally, we are collectively caring a little more about our mental health, spiritual health, and emotional health. The understanding that food matters is spreading, and people are taking a hard look at what that means. Although most of this seems positive, it can leave us feeling empty. After a while, we see the holes in the self-care paradigm, and we are left feeling like there should be more to the story. Well, there is…

The thing the self-care, self-help, self-love movements often leave behind is the inner self, the true self. Now, there certainly is an uptick in “looking within” ideologies, but knowing yourself is still often undervalued. How are we supposed to be true to ourselves, to care for ourselves, to improve ourselves, if we have never taken a single quiet moment to get to know that person?

The Reality of A Busy Life

Life is so busy. Adding a more intense skincare routine to that in the name of self-love does not lessen the stress of life. These things have their own value and sense of fulfillment, but fulfillment that transcends emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental states comes from getting to know the person underneath all of that. When we quiet our worlds (yes, it’s a learned skill, but you can do it) long enough to meet the person who exists under all of life’s circumstances, we bring forth the quietness into our being, our routine, and spread it around to encourage others to do the same. Now, that definitely sounds like a movement worth spreading around – finding our own inner self and fulfillment.

Make Your Own Quiet

So how do we get to this quiet place? Well, the answer is simple – meditation. There are a lot of options out there so do what works best for you, but one technique many people (and science) have found to be beneficial is the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique or TM for short. The TM technique provides a way to access the quietness within and lets you access your inner self. This then spreads to every part of life, becoming the base from which all self-improvement efforts can stem. Suddenly those face masks and bubble baths have a deeper meaning because you have tapped into the source of stillness, fulfillment, and energy – yourself.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

So you are planning to send your child to private school next year? You are probably feeling nervous. You are probably wondering if your child is nervous. You worry that there might be something you forget or overlook because you can’t anticipate everything that might be different about private school. All of this is normal. Don’t worry, regardless of where your child plans to attend school, everyone wants you as prepared as possible. No question is a new question. Hopefully the information that follows is helpful to ease some worry and anxiety!

What to Wear

Private schools tend to have dress codes. Most are fairly simple, but some require clothing with the school logo. If the school your child is attending requires a specific logo or emblem on the clothing, they will direct you to the place you can purchase this article of clothing. For example, at Maharishi School, we go through Lands’ End for our school uniforms. We provide a special link to our uniforms

What to Bring

Just like at public school, private schools have school supply lists. Each grade level at each school is slightly different, but they lists tend to be predictable. Older kids need special calculators; younger kids need crayons and colored pencils. None of that is a surprise. Feel free to view our supply list as an example. We have a few lists for our different age groups.

What to Expect

Each private school is different. Each school starts on a slightly different date, but usually in August or September. Usually there are a few different school breaks throughout the year. There are different extracurricular activities for each school. The best place to turn is your school’s calendar. It will give you the best picture of what is going on throughout the school year, what dates to put on your calendar, and when events take place.

Although the atmosphere within each school is different, expect private schools to be a little smaller, to have a tight knit community, and to have it’s own sort of dynamic. One thing you should absolutely expect is to feel welcomed by your school, to feel at home, and to feel included. If you are not feeling like this within your school, please consider it the school’s mistake, not your own. There are other options out there. Read about one here.

In summary, private schools are different but not that different. There are many, many benefits to private schooling, and each one is unique. However, all schools are here to educate. That is the important thing to remember. Take comfort knowing that everything will be okay. To be prepared, read the material your school provides. If you have questions, ask them. Make sure you feel welcome and included in your schools community.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

The other day, I was filling out some paperwork, organizing some things in my office, and working on a project that wasn’t the most exciting to be doing. It was hard to focus, but I had so much to get done. Now, I am an adult, but I had a hard time getting all my work done. I had a hard time focusing, and I struggled to manage my time. Eventually, everything got done, but it got me thinking about how we ask children and teens to do this all the time in school (or most schools and teachers do). We ask them to complete work, focus on subjects, sit still, learn, and to do it all in a timely manner. However, a lot of students resist. Most end up doing their work, but even those students would likely do better if we approached education in a different way.

In both my situation and the educational expectations of our kids, the thing that often is lacking is passion. I had no passion for the tasks I was doing. Similarly, students often lack passion for what they are learning and the work required of them.

How Do We Fix What is Missing?

So how do we convince kids to excel at the tasks, assignments, and subjects they learn? Passion. Passion is the solution. We have to either 1) show kids how to be passionate about the subjects they are learning or 2) provide space in education for each student to pursue their passion. Both of these solutions are valuable and possible. However, it is likely easier to cultivate the natural passions of a student rather than ask them to adjust their passions, though it may be necessary to ask them to adjust occasionally.

One model of education that allows for the students’ own passions is Project-Based Learning. In Project-Based Learning, Every day students are given time (70 minutes at Maharishi School) to work on a passion project. They problem-solve, experiment, falter and keep striving. Through the process, they learn real-world skills that will serve them when they are adults working on projects at their workplaces. Some of the Learning Goals for project learning are creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, a growth mindset, societal impact and service, interdisciplinary integration, development of student portfolios.

Not only does Project-Based Learning let the students figure out what they love, allow them to pursue their passions, equip them with essential skills, and show them their passions matter; it also helps them move forward in life by strengthening their portfolios for college and their resumes for future employment.

Project-Based Learning really is an amazing option for our students. We only want to see them excel, to reach their own goals, and to self-manage. This is an excellent way to learn those skills.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

https://maharishischool.org/wp-content/uploads/passionineducationphoto-e1529427161782.jpg22584870Maharishi Schoolhttps://maharishischool.org/wp-content/uploads/maharishi-school-web-logo-crop.pngMaharishi School2018-06-19 16:55:412018-06-19 16:55:41How Do We Put Passion Back into Education?

There are many reasons people choose private schooling for their children because there are many benefits to private schooling. Some students can greatly benefit from what private schools have to offer. Of course, each private school is different, but there are many similarities.

Individual Attention

One of the benefits of private schools is the individual attention that is given each student. At private schools, class sizes tend to be smaller so each student is given more individual attention. This means, if your child has a question or is struggling to learn a new idea, they will be more likely to get their question answered. If your child learns something more slowly than other students, the teacher is able to address their individual needs. If your child does not understand a subject, the teacher is very likely to notice because there are fewer students to keep track of so no one slips by. This can be invaluable to all types of students. All students benefit from individual attention and connection.

Teach to Learn

Another benefit of private schools is that schools are able to teach in order to learn rather than to teach in order to test. Unfortunately, poor test scores can lead to less funding for public schools so public schools often feel the pressure to teach in order to test their students rather than feeling free to teach the ability to think and learn. At private schools, funding is not connected to the test scores of the students which enables teachers to equip students to think for themselves, learn the way they naturally learn, and learn at a speed that works for them. Fortunately, the more student-centric environment actually improves academic performance. Whereas, teaching to test does not work for all learning styles.

Balance

The third benefit to private schooling is a more balanced curriculum. All types of schools try to provide balanced opportunities. Unfortunately, funding issues can make that a lot harder to public schools. Private schools have more ability to provide a balanced education, including extracurricular activities. Though activities vary from private school to private school, there tends to be a more balanced view of activities and education, allowing for individuals to adjust to their preferred activities and passions while setting them up to succeed academically as well in their extracurricular activities.

Many Benefits, but the Biggest is…

There are many benefits to private schools. These are just some of the reasons parents choose private schooling for their children. Each private school is different and be better in one area than another. But, the best thing about private schools is that you can pick which one fits your child and will provide the best education for your child.

If you want to read more about what makes Maharishi School different from other private schools, check out some more information here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

We all talk about success a lot. We all feel the pressure to succeed, and depending on our reaction to the pressure, we handle our own level of success very differently. Success means something different to everyone. Some measure success by monetary standards. Some measure it by name recognition or fame. Maybe the problem with success isn’t the different ways we define it but how we measure it.

Two Ways to Measure

At Maharishi School, we measure success in two ways.

The way we look at success is by considering inner development and outer achievement. While outer achievement is exciting and worthwhile, it is empty without inner development. We can measure our inner development in two ways. The first way we measure success is by looking at our failures. There will always be failures and setbacks on the path to success. The only way to reach our goals is to be tenacious, persistent, and to learn from that failure. Some of the best and hardest to learn lessons come in moments of failure. Without those moments, we may never find the depth of our success. The second way to measure the inner development of our success is by finding a way to be passionate about what we are doing.

We encourage students to be their own best. Of course, our students are graded on their work. However, they are also encouraged to be themselves, find their own success – failure included – and be passionate about whatever they are drawn toward.

Success looks different for everyone. We encourage our students to find out what it means for them.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.